


One Left, Four Remains

by AlexKammy



Category: Invader Zim
Genre: Angst, Clone Dib (Invader Zim), Gen, One Shot, Oneshot, bloody gir, dead bodies, professor membrane is mentioned, stabby
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-11
Updated: 2020-09-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:21:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26401066
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexKammy/pseuds/AlexKammy
Summary: During another night of spying on Zim, Dib spots him going into an old warehouse and decides that he's up to no good. Determined to stop him, Dib makes his way there to put an end to whatever Zim was cooking up so late. However, it turns out that Zim had been making plans to stop Dib, once and for all.
Relationships: Dib & Zim (Invader Zim)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	1. Comic Context

**Author's Note:**

> Writing this fic for Moo-ping 10 Server Week Day 7, where I'm to pick up on something I've been delaying. I made the story when I was feeling super angsty, so I apologize for the edge in this. For any confusion, this was originally meant to be a comic but I've never made a long digital comic before so I should've eased into it. I ended up getting burnout and just tossed it into the corner.

**([Clone Dib Headcannon involved](https://thatsworthnoting.tumblr.com/post/615268788978548736/so-i-headcannon-that-membrane-just-heard-a-bunch))**

**(I am so sorry for these photo size differences ahhh)**

**(Ok that's the last panel, NOW we can get to the fic)**


	2. The actual fic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is where things get real. Once again beware of all the gore and death stuff, which includes the process of decay like maggots. Alright you good? Aight time for the fic to begin.

Zim’s PAK legs weren’t anything new to him, he’d seen them before. Long, metallic, and flexible, they made Zim terrifyingly agile and seemed to be fairly sturdy despite their thinness, considering how it managed to carry Zim’s weight when he was full of organs. In some wonder of technology, they also seemed to come with a multitude of different attachments, whether it was something as simple as a communicator or as dangerous as a blaster. Even though Zim basically had a swiss army knife on his back, he didn’t actually use them that often, which he thought was pretty stupid but he was grateful.

But something about this situation felt different. Dib suddenly recalled the Halloween when he had brought Zim with him to the dimension in his head. Zim had loomed over him on his PAK legs, ready to destroy him before he convinced him not to.

He backed up instinctively, attempting to gain some distance and room to dodge but he bumped into a wall. He could probably run to the left, go back up the ramp, hide somewhere on the upper platform, and-

Just as fast as the thought came, his hope to move was shattered as one of Zim’s PAK legs stabbed into his left shoulder. At first, he didn’t feel anything. Then as he looked down and reality sank in, he opened his mouth but the pain only let him emit a choked cry. Blood seeped into the front of his clothing, creeping out of the wound. It seemed like the leg didn’t manage to pierce all the way. Regardless, he couldn’t move his left arm anymore and now he would have to find a way to either stop the bleeding or keep the leg in. He tentatively placed his working hand on the leg. There was no way he’d be dragging Zim by his leg all the way to the hospital, but he couldn’t exactly rip it and run when Zim could just dig it in deeper. He’d have to wait and hope that shock didn’t kick in. Panting, Dib glanced up to stare at his doom.

Zim had made a face of disgust as he cringed, overdramatic in his show of repulsion. “I will rid myself of your _disgusting_ germs later, Zim might even incinerate that leg for touching you, Dib-stink!” The closest he had ever come to stabbing Dib was when he hacked into Tak’s ship, safe from the human’s disgusting fluids. His legs weren’t really built for stabbing but they did the trick, and his quick thinking kept Dib from getting away. He wouldn’t be getting out alive tonight. Elevating himself on the rest of his PAK legs and causing Dib to flinch from the movement, he cleared his throat. “As Zim was saying before you _rudely_ interrupted, I would’ve locked you away to rot like in that one future we went to, or you would spend the rest of your _useless_ human lifespan as Zim’s slave!”

Zim let out a smirk and leaned closer to Dib, who glared at him while gritting his teeth and gripping the PAK leg with whitened knuckles. “ **However!** Zim discovered that you had eh...” he thought for a moment as he tried to remember the phrase. “...’had the high ground,’ yes! You didn’t have to care that I could kill you at any moment because your Dad had replacements anyways, but now, there are none.“

“I have no idea what you’re even talking about you crazy space monster!” Dib huffed out, attempting to backhand Zim but missing. His mind was beginning to get foggy and his skin was starting to get clammy. His legs were shaking and he held on to the PAK leg for dear life despite the irony of the dependence. What Dib could understand was that Zim was mad at him because allegedly, his Dad had made clone backups of him. Realization slowly broke through his clouded thoughts as certain things started to click. But that would mean…no that didn’t sound like something his dad would do...right?

Zim groaned as Dib continued to gaze at him with exhausted and hurt confusion like he didn’t want to believe it. “Ugh... **GIR!** ”

With his signature screaming, GIR came soaring down from the ceiling, landing on their face with a thud on the floor next to Zim. He perked his head up, “Yessss?”

“GIR, bring the Dib crate!”

“Kay!” GIR flew back into the darkness.

After a few seconds, he came back into view carrying a crate with an Irken symbol. Dib shuddered as GIR came closer. Red droplets oozed from the cracks, streaking the robot’s body with lines of what he couldn’t deny was blood; and what was in the crate jostled, leading to more leaking out. The stench was a dreadful mixture of chemicals and decay, increasing his nausea by tenfold as GIR set it down next to Zim. Even Zim struggled to keep his composure and retched a bit, “Bleh. GIR, tip it so the Dib can see.”

GIR’s eyes lit up red as he saluted, some of the blood flying off from the motion. He grabbed the bottom and tilted the crate so that Dib could see what was inside. He screamed, his face contorting in terror as he took in what was displayed in front of him.

There were clones of him, 3 of them. The bare and lifeless bodies inside all had laser holes in their heads, leaking blood profusely with exposed insides and bone on full display. If Dib saw one of them out and about he would’ve mistaken them as vampires by how pale their skin was, so drained of blood. It made him think of how the bystander mistook Black Dahlia’s corpse as a mannequin. One of the bodies horrifically hosted a swarm of maggots, traveling from their facial holes and even coming from inside the mess of blasted bits. Satisfied that Dib understood, Zim spoke, “Understand now with your big and stupid head? I raided your Dad’s _inferior_ secret lab after I found out. Zim has destroyed all but one. I’m done with this game Dib, especially if it was rigged from the start. In fact, I’ve found a way to win, and turn your own clone against you!” 

With that statement, he triumphantly held up a flash drive. “Professor Membrane used this to store all of your _pathetic_ memories so he could transfer them easily.” Zim gleefully shoved it into Dib’s mortified face, as if taunting an Irken with their PAK. “Zim has one of your clones back at my base! This only has your memories backed-up from a few nights ago, so when I conquer the Urth, you’ll just wake up and see your failure!” Zim settled into a classic fit of sinister laughter, and this time Dib had good reason to be afraid. Zim was going to kill him. He was going to die and no one, not even himself, would know. He’d die before proving to everyone that he was right all along. He’d be replaced by a version of himself that wouldn’t even have a chance to do so. It couldn’t end like this, the world couldn’t be this cruel.

Done with his maniacal chortling, Zim took his PAK leg out of Dib. He sank to the floor with a whimper, blood having clotted slightly but now leaking out freely without any resistance. Zim casually flicked the leg at the floor, resulting in splatter, “Zim is tempted to make it so that you remember this part of my _brilliant_ scheme...” He smirked again and leaned forwards with three of the legs elevating him slightly while one aimed, charging a blast, “but mysteries are more painful to you.” This was it.

“ **GET AWAY FROM ME!** ” Dib cried out as he kicked in desperation.

“ **EH!?** ” Zim toppled backward as Dib’s foot successfully landed on his front.

As Zim crashed onto the floor with the PAK legs frantically scuffling, while he was stunned, Dib used his adrenaline and what little energy he had left and scrambled towards the warehouse’s large shutter door. While this warehouse was old, it wasn't far from a crowded area. If he could _just_ make it out the door, he could make it to the main street and be in view of other people, which would hopefully make Zim back off. Humans might not be phased seeing Zim out of his costume but they'd surely notice a bleeding child, right? Stumbling to the control panel so fast that he nearly tumbled into the wall, he spammed the button to open the door. Zim had gotten up, legs skittering across the floor as he advanced. Dib stopped pressing the button, and with the little light shining from the window, it quickly dawned on him that the panel had been compromised and torn open. His breath caught in his throat as he felt Zim’s looming presence behind him. Zim’s top PAK legs were charged and ready to fire.

“This is your end Dib, but now the nightmare begins.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whooooo. GOD the last part is so cheesy huh?
> 
> Couldn't help but add a Touchtone Telephone line *COUGH*
> 
> Also, I read this out loud like 5 times but let me know if there's still an error like there's a Dib, but with an uppercase I like DIb.


End file.
